Brandon was placed on waivers by Atlanta. He hasn't played in two years due to a knee injury that forced him to retire. He was kept on the Atlanta roster as a techincality for the Hawks to clear cap room.

Minnesota GM Kevin McHale says he's close to a deal that would trade Brandon to a team seeking salary cap relief, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Brandon is almost certain to retire this summer, and whoever owns his contract would be able to clear $11.1 million from their salary cap in 2004.

Brandon said he is likely to retire this summer but will wait to make it official until after the T-Wolves attempt to trade him to another team to get salary cap relief, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. He missed all of last season with a knee injury.

Minnesota hopes to reach an agreement with Brandon by late spring on whether he can ever play again. Right now Bradon is still trying to rehab his knee injury. "It had gotten to the point where he was pushing it, then it was swelling up, he was pushing it, then it was swelling up — so we told him to take four weeks off, then take a couple of weeks to strengthen it, and then we would try to push it again," general manager Kevin McHale told the St. Paul Pioneer. "He is at the point where he is in the middle of strengthening it, so we'll bring him back soon."

Brandon wants to give it one more try and is hopeful of playing this year, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "He said he's feeling better than he has at any point since the surgery," GM Kevin McHale told the paper. "But it's a matter of, can he get to the next level? Right now, he's able to jog and do a lot of stuff like that. There's a huge difference between that and playing NBA basketball."

Brandon could be traded this winter to a team seeking salary cap relief. If he is forced to retire due to his knee injury, the team holdig his rights will gain cap relief, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Kevin Garnett says the T-Wolves players and management have all but determined Brandon's career is over. "From a basketball standpoint he let us know early on that it was pretty much a done deal," Garnett told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "We've all supported his decision. We've all supported him."

Brandon still has pain in his knee and Minnesota officials are getting impatient to see if his career is over. "We're at the point now where we're waiting for him to step on the floor and see if he can give it a go," Minnesota coach Flip Saunders told the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Brandon will not play for the Hawks as he missed all of last year with a knee injury. Brandon was traded to Atlanta from Minnesota in the offseason soley for his contract. At some point this year Brandon will retire after he's officially ruled by the NBA to be out with a permanent injury. Atlanta will be able to save $11 million under the salary cap as a result.